Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Stalin - man of the nation?

We have seen in recent weeks how the British Government is squaring up to Russia and how intelligence sources are worried about the seemingly anarchic state. As such we should take this news with seriousness.

When Russians en masse decide that Stalin - a man that made Hitler look like a pussycat when it came to killing his own population - should be the face of the nation one should realise that whilst the "Cold War" ended, the thaw has yet to really take place in the grassroots.

The article also says the voting site isn't protected against multiple clicking from one computer - so the results can easily be manipulated by organised voting, which it clearly states the Communist party has engaged in. So this isn't so much a popular vote as a propaganda exercise.

This has been happening more and more over a number of years. I remember reading an article in the Foreign Affairs Journal a few years back on this very subject. The younger generation appear to be 'embracing' Stalin for two reasons: 1)They see Russia in the, let's face it pretty dire and weak state it is in now and look back at Stalin and how he supposedly brought strength. 2) Secondly, schools and books in Russia fail to drive home how truly evil Stalin was, thus making him an accessible and somewhat presentable 'hero'.